The present invention is directed to devices for assisting individuals learning to ride a wheeled vehicle wherein the vehicle must be balanced by the rider. More particularly, the present invention relates to training devices for bicycles and the like.
One of the rites of passage of childhood is learning to ride a bicycle. To learn to ride a bicycle, the learner must learn to balance the bicycle on its two wheels while simultaneously pedaling and steering the bicycle. The first attempts to ride commonly involve crashes or tips. To help the rider learn to ride, an adult or other individual will commonly hold the back of the seat, to help stabilize the bicycle as the rider pedals and steers. However, this is commonly difficult for both the rider and helper, because the helper must lean down, and over, to hold the back of the bicycle seat. As a result, the helper is not upright as he helps the learner and tends to tip the bicycle from an upright position thus hindering, rather than helping, the rider learn to stabilize the bicycle.
Several mechanisms have been proposed for use with a bicycle to allow a second individual, such as a parent or other adult, to stabilize the bicycle while the learner learns to pedal and steer. The training devices help the learner obtain confidence and balance to more quickly acquire the skills necessary for riding.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,650,544 Cassell, discloses a training device which may be attached to a bicycle to allow a helper to hold a bicycle upright while the rider learns to ride the bicycle. The device disclosed therein includes an upright pole 12 over which a ring 42 is placed. The helper uses the ring to hold the pole in a generally vertical position, or may directly grasp the pole with his hand. The pole extends upward from the bicycle at a position directly behind the seat, and the helper must therefore walk or run alongside the bicycle at a distance equal to or less than the helper's arm length in order to grip the ring or pole. Because the helper's stride is commonly equal to his or her arm length, the helper cannot run behind the bicycle because their feet would hit the bicycle wheel. Therefore, the helper must run along the side of the bicycle, and thus will tend to tip the bicycle as he runs beside it. Further, he can use only one hand on the pole and still be able to easily run alongside the bicycle. When using only one hand, it is relatively easy to pull the bicycle up when it tips away from the helper, but relatively difficult to pull it up if it tips toward the helper and the helper must pull it up across his body.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,903,975, Weisbrodt, discloses a bicycle training device which extends rearwardly from the bicycle. The helper holds the cross bar behind the bicycle, and the bar is positioned at a position sufficiently distant from the rear wheel to allow the helper to run behind the bicycle. However, the cross bar on which the helper places his hands to control the bicycle, is as wide as or smaller than the width of the rear axle bolt. This arrangement is difficult to control. The cross bar is stabilized by a single support member attached to the bicycle frame which allows considerable wobbling of the cross bar during a tip. Also, if the helper is running directly behind the bicycle, the preferred position to hold the bicycle upright, the helper's hands are within the envelope of the helpers shoulders. In this position, the helper's hands and arms are in a position where the muscles have their minimum strength potential. As a result, it is difficult for the helper to maintain the bike upright if any substantial side to side tipping occurs.